


Friction

by FireworksShow



Category: One Direction (Band), Taylor Swift (Musician)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-02
Updated: 2015-05-25
Packaged: 2018-03-04 21:33:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3091007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FireworksShow/pseuds/FireworksShow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Their lives intersect and crash together since the day they met. Something strong pulled them towards each other. But timing never was in their favor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. It's all good

**Author's Note:**

> first Haylor-related fic that I wrote. it's somewhat inspired by some of the songs on 1989 and may have more chapters that follow the same background :)

"Come outside". 

The screen of her phone glowed in the dark and she had to check it at least five times to be sure of what she had just read. 

"Please." 

It glowed again. 

He must've mistaken her. It was 2AM on a week day. Even so, she peeked through the curtains to find him standing on her porch, only visible by the faint light of the gates. She went down the stairs and opened the door up to realize that he had managed himself past them, which meant he must’ve had talked up her security team to be able to do it.

"Are you insane?" She ended up sounding mad. But she wasn't. She was feeling a million things at the same time. But she wasn't mad. Not anymore. She was mad when she saw him looking at her with a fucking smug grin not even two months after he walked out on her on their vacation and gave up on everything after one stupid fight. But now, 6 months after, she couldn't be mad. 

Not when he made her feel that way. Not when he was looking so vulnerable and so… young even though he had changed so much.

"I can't do this anymore." Was all he said, before her face softened. "I can't see you, hear about you… fuck, think about you all the damn time and pretend that I don't care."

She smiled. And when she smiled and the smile hit her eyes he could feel every fiber of his being warming up to her, just like if he was built for it.

"Leave your car there. Come inside while I talk to security." 

It was hard. She knew where it led. But she couldn't pretend that she didn't care. Not when she got jumpy after headlights passed her house in the middle of the night thinking about him. It was about time they talked.

She found him looking at the pictures on her hallway, so many frozen moments that he wasn’t there. It was hard not to think what those pictures might’ve been if he had taken a stupid plane instead making a phone call.

"Those are new. Austin took some of them and there are some that I still have to frame." He didn’t move when she got there what made her roll her eyes. "Come on. It's not like you don’t know the place."

He chuckled. It was surely unexpected that he came by to beg for an apology and before anything was discussed, he was being asked to take the lead on her own house.

"So… you’ve made some changes." He said with a grin while he sat down at the same couch that they once had fallen asleep on a chilly afternoon. She shrugged at his observation.

"I was planning on doing it for a while now. It just came in hand that I needed something to take my mind off everything."

His heart sank a bit. He knew there was a hint of pain on her voice and he also knew that she had taken down a few pictures with him, he didn’t expect her to keep them on the walls but he wondered if she didn’t want to see them because of the memories that it brought.

"Ok… listen, there are a few things that I want to tell you. But I also want to apologize. I know that you don't need to take it, but I need to do it."

He saw Meredith coming from the stairs, probably from her room, where the lights were still on and suddenly, all he could look at was his hands because he realized that what he had just said sounded a little bit more selfish than he expected.

"We both made mistakes." She simply said. And something inside him ached. Even though her tone was a warm one, he was feeling that she was saying that their whole relationship was a mistake.

"But I can't hate you. I tried to. I was mad. I was so so mad but I didn't know at what I was mad. There were too many things to be mad at. Until I gave up at it."

He frowned. How can she not hate him? He was stupid. He left her after she had just said that they should enjoy their last few days together, rather than some other people. Then she went away and said that what they had would never work out, anyway. He agreed, at the time. He was about to travel the world and he wanted to fully experience it. Or so he thought. It was much harder said than done. Every girl he met, he tried to find something that reminded him of her, it could be anything that triggered his memory to some random moment and it was good until it just wasn't right.

"I mean… It wasn't my right to keep you from experiencing… stuff. So you should go out and see all that. I know how it feels when everything is just new and exciting. You were just discovering it."

She sounded like she had thought a great amount about it. Because she did. It was all she could think when it was everything that everyone else could talk about. It was hard to let it go, especially when things were hard enough in her head.

"And… damn, Harry. How could I ever regret it?"

With that he lit up like a Christmas tree. In some way, it was more than he was expecting when he turned in her driveway scared to death that her bodyguard would come up to throw him out.

"Still." He finally got an opportunity to speak and, boy, it was hard to find words looking at her in the eye.

"I was stupid. I was selfish. It took some time but I can see it now and this has been going on my mind for the longest time. Sometimes I just caught myself thinking about you. Hell, I ask about you to anyone I can. I just have to know something, anything but then I just think that you hate me, because you never answer your phone when I tried to call." He stops to take a breath because it all came like one blurt and suddenly even his hair is bothering him so he can't stop running his hand through it.

"I even drive by your house on the middle of the night just to see if the lights are on!" He knows how bad it sounds but it's how bad some nights get.

"I know." He perks up. "I know that this isn't the first time that you were driving around in the middle of the night and I'm glad that you decided to take the turn this time."

"How?" Is all he can manage to say.

"Oh, please, Harry. It's not like you chose the most low key car to do it. It's pretty easy to spot your shabby Mercedes."

He laughed. He had never actually thought of it because he never thought she would actually notice or keep up with his life.

"Also, buying a house a few blocks down wasn't very subtle."

She was sitting on that for so long. She wanted to text him about it, to tease him about it… that it just escaped her mouth. She didn't regret seeing his face when she said it nonchalantly. He probably thought he was sneaky enough but he always forgets that she's playing this game for a few years now.

"How do you know that? The house isn't even mine! Yet, at least, but I don't always stay there. I just like it here, it has a nice patio, lots of sun…"

She laughed at how desperate he was. What made him a little bit upset that she was finding it funny. Maybe it was but they had some serious stuff to talk about.

"I don't think I should be telling you this but, besides LA being a really small town after you've been here for a while, which you probably figured that out already, it always comes in hand having a real good realtor."

He let out a laugh a shook his head. He couldn't believe in what they've became, both way too headstrong to talk to each other while they were eager to know about each other through other sources.

"So… this means that you've been missing me?" Somehow, he found a place in his head to tease her. Tease her just like he did when they were together. It was too damn comfortable to be in her presence again, everything being way too familiar.

"Like hell."

She was way past the time were she would keep it simple with Harry. There was not a single reason for her to lie to him right now, if it was for the best, she was going to be blatantly honest.

"Like, I secretly wish that you'd take that damn turn since the first day that I noticed that it was you who kept driving past. Or that I've lost count of how many times that I had written you a text saying that I wanted to see you and that I never hit send." She was using her hands to talk. He knew that she did it when she was trying to explain something that felt way too far from anyone's grasp but he knew that feeling all too well.

"At least you weren't going around asking for crumbs of information. I've tried to bribe Ed on giving me anything but he was all 'you should be the one to ask'. I'd try to play it cool every time that your name was dropped in some conversation just so people kept talking." They were just the same. Headstrong enough to be feeling the same way but never giving in.

"There were some nights where it got hard. Sometimes I'd be drunk after exploring some new city we were in… and some girl would get my attention because something made me think of you. But then, it wasn't the same. It wouldn't even feel right and I'd feel like a douchebag."

And she knew that it wasn't him. He was a charmer, for sure, but he wasn't keen on using people. "So I quit it altogether. I'd go and explore the cities but just that. It was fun, though."

He was smiling at her because she was smiling at him. They were stripping their souls for each other so easily. She never imagined that she'd do it with some ex-boyfriend. No, she was used to cutting them off of her life. But Harry had to be the exception; somehow that was a pattern with him. He knew how to get to her so easily that was almost dangerous.

Then it all got too silent and Harry thought that just maybe he could move forward a bit and she would meet him halfway and everything would be alright again. But when he made the move, he only felt a hand on his chest.

"No, Harry. I can't afford being on a relationship right now and I don't want to bring you inside all of this again. Not when it's worse than ever."

At that moment, it hit him. He understood what was going on with her, why she was being so reserved after being mad at him. Things had been rough for her but he thought that she was just putting it all aside. It turns out that she was just putting a brave face for show but he felt that she was still struggling with the outcomes that were much worse for her. He had never put real thought at it until then.

"I like this, though." She said happily. "We could do that, you know? Being friends. It might work… and timing can't play games at it."

It felt bitter for him. Because the last time she told him that they should be friends he had said that he wanted more than that. A few weeks after that, she was kissing some other guy and he was sending her texts. He sent her texts and called her during all that summer. By fall she gave up and they begun seeing each other. That was the time when he promised her he'd make it work.

"Yes." His mouth said before his brain could process. "I think we can do that."

It was better than nothing, at least he now knew how she felt and made him feel damn good knowing that she missed him. He knew that it was a big deal for her, being friends and having him on her life. For now, he could live with that.

He definitely could live with talking to her until the crack of the dawn, when she stood up and announced that she was feeling like making eggs and so they moved to her kitchen and he sat on a stool while she made eggs. She told him about Austin and college and he told her about his mom.

While he ate the eggs she had just made, he realized how he was in need of something like this in his life. He missed having someone who he could talk to and say how tired he was and to just be heard and not judged. She understood him like anyone else and for that he was grateful of having her back on his life.  
It was the early morning when he left her house. She hugged him on his way out and thanked him for making the turn. He said that it was long due and he was glad he made it, also that she should go over to see the house. She said she would, eventually.

It wasn't more than a five minute drive to his house when he pulled his phone and wrote her a text.

"We good?"

Shortly after his phone came to life with the answer, faster than he expected.

"We're good."


	2. Just pretend

They text on a daily basis, they often call each other just to talk about stuff. Their friends don't fear bringing the other on a conversation anymore and the whole atmosphere of their lives seems to be much lighter since they decided that they should become friends again. Some nights, when he happened to be in LA he'd go over her house for dinner and they would talk about everything that went wrong on their past. She would talk about her insecurities about him committing into a relationship and he would go over the things that went on his head.  
What was a recipe for a disaster turned out to be really great friendship. They got to talk about things that they didn't even got a chance to talk about when they were together, they got to know each other even better than before. One night he told her about his trip to Ghana and how it was an emotional trip for him and that he thought of her when he got reflexive. Then, on another one, when she made the stir fry with vodka sauce after he requested it, he told her about Gemma's reaction when he said that they were friends. At first she was suspicious but then she got really happy that he had gotten around being a jerk, her words apparently were. Taylor laughed loud at it and asked him to say hi to her, because she really wished she'd spent more time with her. Then, Taylor told him about her friends and how awesome it was that she had time to all of them and actually feel good about it.

  
They both were comfortable enough with each other when the time for the VMAs came and he sent her a text a few days before noting on how she was campaigning for votes but she had to thank him when she won, since he had given great insights for the video when she told him what the concept was, and also what a great boyfriend he was that he was mostly okay with his girlfriend kissing another bloke for the sake of art. She told him that she would surely thank him, but in her own terms, what he'd have to own it when the time came if she actually won.  
The thing about their friendship was that it was something that was theirs only and only those who were friends with both of them knew that they were on better than good terms. For the rest of the world they played cool, though, since it was nobody's business. But for the sake of destiny, or the MTV director who wanted some controversial shoots, they were sat way too close and Taylor had brought "the bloke that kissed her" on the video. As soon as Harry saw her walking to her seats with Selena he didn't know what to pay attention to: her dress — her more than ever classic look that really suited her — or the guy that was coming right behind the girls. His only resource was to take his phone off his pocket and compose a text, what he barely knew is that it would start a saga that would go back and forth for the whole night.  
"Hii. Looking gorgeous but I see what you're doing."  
Selena looked over her screen as soon as she checked it out and then looked over her shoulder only to get him red handed on trying to see her reaction. Selena whispered something to her while she seemed to be focused on typing something and it didn't take long before his phone was alerting him a new message from her.  
"I don't know what you're talking about but thank you for the compliment. I noticed that you noticed it when I came in"  
She waited until her phone showed her that he had seen her reply to turn and look at him. As the alarm resounded alerting that the show was about to start Ed joined his seat behind Taylor and noticed that something was going on when he looked between the two of them. Something was different than it had been for the past weeks but he soon dropped it, having sworn that he wouldn't take sides a long time ago.  
Harry could see her drinking whatever Selena was having as soon as he passed in front of her to make his way to the backstage. He wasn't sober himself but he soon came to the conclusion that maybe he shouldn't be the one drinking. Not yet, at least. Because if he drank too much he probably wouldn't remember it when he woke up with a god forsaken headache on the next day and he wanted to remember it. He was feeling good and it only made him stare harder at her when he was announcing that Selena had won. Taylor screamed and turned to her saying that she had told her so. She was happy and that made him smile. Selena came to him on backstage, a place where she knew that no one was lurking on them, he congratulated her on her award but all she said to him was:  
"Don't screw up. Not this time, not when she really likes you." She said to him, it wasn't a warning per se, but he knew that she was being protective. "I hope you know how much of a big deal it is for her being friends with you after all you've been through."  
He just nodded, even though he wasn't sure if Selena's words meant the same to him that they meant to her. As he went back to his seat, he thought of it, of how he didn't want to hurt her and how great they were doing at just being friends, he felt like he knew her better than ever before. His thoughts were interrupted by his phone buzzing in his pocket. It was her, "Alright. Now that Selena's won, it's on."  
He smiled and watched her for the whole course of the night. He almost laughed at her and Selena when Justin Timberlake came, but he was trying hard to not look as excited as they were. By the end of his performance he grabbed his phone and texted her, "Don't tell anyone but I might've peed a little with Nsync"  
Selena read it over her shoulder after she smiled at it, when she was actually trying to keep a straight face. Especially now that she had received some other texts about how she had already been caught at an inappropriate moment. She had gone backstage to vent it off with Ed. He laughed at the situation and made some comment about the grand event that was Taylor Swift cursing, as if she never did it in private. He had taken the opportunity to mention how Ellie had said that she would go to his after party and, even though she hadn't decided yet if she was going or not, she totally should. She promised him she would think about it.  
When Bruno Mars took the stage, Harry received another text, "cross your fingers". He didn't, he just focused on peeling his orange but if anyone asked, he probably was more nervous than her. Louis whispered something to Liam, he didn't catch what it was but it still made him roll his eyes so he chose to focus on Niall, who was clearly rooting for Taylor. When Bruno Mars' voiced said Taylor's name, he couldn't hold his smile and listened carefully. She thanked the fans.  
Then, she thanked the person who inspired the song.  
He could feel people looking at him, but he applauded and grinned. She had never told him if it actually was about him. He thought that it was, on the other hand. Niall also thought it. He knew that she had written some songs about him. But then, he had given some intakes for the video and mocked her that she should thank him. And so she did and he couldn't take his eyes off of her for the rest of the night. Not when she almost ran in front of him to hug Drake and Justin Timberlake, nor when she went up the stairs. So when Niall announced that he was going to talk to her, he almost begged him to send her a message because he obviously couldn't go there himself.  
So Niall delivered it as the first thing he said to her in the middle of the hug they shared. "Harry is asking you to go to the party," he said and she nodded, telling him to say that they'd meet there.  
She liked Niall a lot, him being just a little less excited than Harry when she first met them but he revealed himself to be a huge fan of her, what she thought was endearing. They had remained in contact after the break up, but it was mostly pleasantries and still, she appreciated his loyalty to Harry. As it was one of the last commercial breaks, their meeting was cut short by the show coming back.

  
Ed had planned the party, she would have to go anyway. Or, at least, was what she was telling herself as she walked in the bar of a hotel in New York, she was alone after Selena told her that she would try to drop by later, since she had another party she was supposed to attend. It was easy to spot Harry, sitting on a table with a couple of friends, even though she could tell that he was looking at the door the whole time, since he quickly got up as she came into view. When they greeted each other, he put his hand on her lower back and, then, when he offered her a drink, his mouth was a bit too close to her ear. She was a bit under the influence herself and she could see that he was drinking scotch, even if he wasn't sounding drunk. As soon as he came back with her drink, Ed had found his way and was thanking her for coming. He was much drunker than both of them combined, so it didn't come as surprise when he told his friend that they should all take a picture together, what ended up happening, with Taylor at one end and Harry at the other.  
After that, they were almost forgotten sitting on a corner. They were talking too close to the other, the boundaries of their personal space long gone on the first drink they shared. She laughed into his shoulder at one of his silly jokes and he was constantly ending up talking to her neck, rather than her ear. When it got too hard to take and even more difficult to deny the tension that had built up right there, he sought her eyes and made a proposition that both knew they wouldn't be getting away with it.  
"Let's get out of here," he almost pleaded with his eyes. "Get out of all this crowd, let's just get out."  
She just stood up and he followed with his hand on the small of her back. No one noticed as they exited the room and got to a dark hallway where he pulled her by the hand making their bodies closer. "Let's get out of the city."  
She closed her eyes and for a second was able to think how wrong this was, but he was clearly winning her over easily. "It would take a two hour drive to Rhode Island and I won't take it," it was hard to be right there discussing it. "We can make it to our spot."

  
Their spot was the same room that they had met multiple times when they were dating, since a lot of things on their lives seemed to end up in New York. It was a safe spot, the place where they went when they wanted to get out of everything and it seemed to be enough to convince him as he took her hand and made his way to the back entrance of the hotel, where they did happen to have a car ready for them. He was almost running and she was having a bit of difficulty on keeping pace with him, what made her two steps behind but it was the perfect distance for her to admire how he was a bit taller than her, what made it just perfect. He also was so handsome and that didn't hurt at all, not only that but the fact that he also had a beautiful soul made him quite hard to forget, especially when they were at this level of infatuation over the other.  
She had to ask her bodyguard to let him drive, under the condition that they'd be following her. She didn't care about it, only focusing on him hurrying her to the passenger side of the SUV and almost running to the driver's seat. She couldn't help the drunk _ish_ smile that crept over her face while he was driving, even if it wasn't a long one and sooner than later Sailor Twips and Mick Greenberg were arriving at the loft they used to escape to. The manager had left everything sorted out for them on the short notice that they had called so the only people that actually saw them were the ones on the garage, because on the elevator it was hard to say who was there, since Harry pulled her into a kiss as soon as he got in and pressed the desired floor.  
Their room was on the far corner of the corridor and it had a view. Taylor discovered it on the early months of when they were dating, because they used to meet in New York since it was basically halfway from the UK. He would come in for the weekend and they would spend it there. Now, he was almost kicking the door to the room when it didn't give in easily to its key and it only worked when Taylor almost groaned at him and took it to herself. "It's backwards, remember?"  
He didn't care to answer, not when her hands were already dealing with what was left of the buttons on his shirt. She hadn't figured out yet what was the deal with him half buttoning his shirts, but it was making things quicker and when she realized, his clothes were already on the floor and his hands were making his way back to her hair, undoing the pins and putting it down. "No one has to know about this…" she said almost whispering and she could hear him mumbling something against her back, where he was focused on unzipping her dress. His voice was so familiar that it was like coming home, she couldn't even make up what he said against her ear anymore, even if the effect of the alcohol was long gone. When he was finally able to undress her, they locked eyes and his green ones were so captivating that all the walls she could still have up were brought down by herself as she took a step closer to him and captured his mouth on hers. She knew all too well that this was just a one night stand, even though she didn't like it, but once again he was the only exception for all of her rules on relationships.  
As they reached the bed, they were just in synchronization as if it hadn't been eight months since they last shared a bed. Nonetheless, this time was different. She wasn't anxious, she was feeling good about herself, and she was feeling good with everything. It was even better when Harry let out an "Oh God" when he looked her over. He was also different. He wasn't a boy anymore and she could see and feel that he had matured over the past months. He wasn't so eager to prove himself anymore and he was taking his time to praise their moment, just like he had the same thought that this wasn't going to last forever. He kissed every inch of her body, he told her over and over again how beautiful she was and he loved her like they weren't going to see each other for a long time so he took his time.  
By the time she was lying on his chest he could feel her breath catch up and he didn't even dare to ask if something was wrong because he didn't know if he could take if she said that she regretted what they had just done. But it turned out that he didn't have to, as she looked up to him and said in a hurry, "Please promise me one thing."  
"Promise me you'll remember me." She continued when he didn't answer her. "Remember the good moments. Please."  
He laughed lightly over her head as he placed a kiss on top of it. "How could I ever forget you, Taylor?"  
There was something about the way he said her name that made her weak. She took a long breath and kissed his hand. "Still." She said. "Say you will remember me. Say that you'll remember how we liked to watch the sunset and all the other things we like to do."  
"I will." He said boldly. "Probably I'll even dream about it."  
She pulled the sheets over them and made herself comfortable under his grip. That was everything she wanted from him and something she had never asked from any of her boyfriends, but somehow she needed this kind of confirmation from Harry and just like that they both slept, with him holding her tight and she finding comfort on the warmth from his body.  
In the morning, she had woken up before him and took her time to assess the magnitude of her hangover, further coming to a conclusion that it wasn't so bad and a couple bottles of water should be enough to deal with it. She was fairly dressed when Harry woke up patting the side of the bed searching for her before he opened up his eyes.  
"Come back here." He said in a sleepy voice and when she didn't move, he whacked the sleep off his eyes to get a better look at her. She was almost ready to go and he was feeling like they had to talk about what had just happened. "You can stay, you know."  
"I can't, I actually have a concert tomorrow." But she knew that wasn't the only reason why she couldn't stay.  
"I'm ready, ok? We can try again. We can do this." He sat up on the bed and she sat beside him. "I love you."  
She smiled and hugged him, this was going to be hard for her to do.  
"I can't."  
He backed off from the hug and his eyes were looking for hers.  
"My life is just starting to get back on track from the mess it was." She said, "And if we try one more time, it has great chances that it won't work."  
He looked a bit surprised and in his mind, it would work. He was more mature, he knew that he loved her, he said it to her but now he couldn't say anything.  
"If it doesn't work, I'll risk losing you." She said almost whispering. "And I wouldn't ever forgive me if I lost you. I can't risk it, you're way too important for me."  
She could see that he was a bit hurt over this, even if it was a true concern of hers. She was keeping him as a friend because she needed him in her life and at this point, she didn't want to risk it, even if last night could have jeopardized it.  
"All I can offer is my friendship right now." She took a deep breath. "I can't speak about the future, though."  
He wasn't sure if he was hurt or mad or even more in love with her. All he knew is that she was walking away from him one more time.


	3. We come back everytime

After that night, the texts weren't that frequent anymore. Both were getting busy with their tours, Harry had put out a new album, of which she had congratulated him and his two songs. It was ironic for her, because during their relationship he had asked her for some writing tips since he had some lyrics that he was working on but he didn't think they were polished enough. Now he had released two songs on the band's album and she knew how much it meant to him. She had listened to them, and had thought if maybe he had thought of her when he wrote them. It was an interesting experience for her, to wonder if she was the subject of a song but better yet was the experience to be able to hear him putting his feelings out like that.

He wasn't coming over anymore, also. Now, he'd hang out with Jeff Azoff and she would hang out with her friends. Maybe it was how it was supposed to be and that was the way both of them were going to live their lives from now and on: as friends but friends who kept their distance because they knew how explosive they could be.

She could feel that her life was shifting to something that she had been searching for a while. She was finally coming into terms with the huge mess that her life had been for the past year and was ready to begin a new chapter of her life on the year that was just about to begin.

As December came, she was busy with her tour, what helped keeping her mind off everything. They both knew that the holiday season was a delicate period for them, when a lot of things triggered memories.

It was on one of these days where Harry was reminiscing about his relationship with Taylor that Jeff told him that he was going to find a girl for him so that he stopped pinning for his ex-girlfriend. Not many days after he was being introduced to Kendall in an awkward encounter set up by their friend in common at the golf club. Her father was there and all they had gotten from each other were random stuff like what their orders would be for lunch. So he suggested that they went for dinner that night and they started to hang out. He couldn't quite wrap his mind around how she could live with her whole life being documented before cameras so he was glad when she told him that he didn't have to be a part of it all. It was easier that way since they barely knew each other and it would be even more difficult if they had to go through it all as a part of a show. It turned out that he was enjoying having her as company to do things that he liked to do at that time of the year but dreaded doing them alone.  
The only thing was that he had done those things with Taylor and he thought about her all the time, even if he tried not to. On a ski trip he ended up refusing getting on a snow mobile because the last time he was on one of those he almost killed himself and his passenger, getting a scar on his chin as a permanent mark of it.

For her birthday he had sent a card with his best wishes. On Christmas both wished the best for their respective families and by New Year's Eve it was just a polite text.

After that, they didn't hear from each other for a while. She had heard that he was going out with some girl for a while now, so she figured out that maybe it was for the best if she just stayed out of it and let him be, so that maybe if he got himself in a long term relationship (or whatever that meant for him) it would benefit their friendship. That maybe they wouldn't be going on a treacherous path every time they got too close to each other.

So just like January had rolled in, it was almost coming to its end after she had gotten busy with the awards season and was working hard on her new album. During that she had came to the decision that she needed some change, with that being moving out and all her thoughts led her to New York. It was set that she would do that once she wrapped up her concerts in Europe, being it a milestone for her new era. For the first time since last year she was feeling like everything was falling into place, she was feeling good about herself and with herself. She had finally gotten closure for all the crap that had happened with her on the past year so she was ready to leave everything in the past.

When she hit London for her tour, she was happy and confident. She had gotten even happier when Imogen Heap had returned her request to work with her because she knew exactly what she wanted to write about. It was about the feeling of being dragged to the ground at your lowest and coming out of it stronger, it was about feeling the pain that demanded to be felt and learning from it. She had gone through a difficult time but had reached the other side and everything was fine again, it was about getting closure and it was exactly how she felt when she told Imogen about it.

What had made her so sure that it was how she felt was the moment when Niall called her asking if he could go to one of the concerts and the first thing that had gone through her mind was that he could obviously go but he had to make a stop backstage after the show because she missed him, instead of obsessing about what people would think of it and what kind of headlines would be made out of it. She just had fun, having Cara around meant that almost every day was the day to celebrate for something different and that day wasn't an exception. After the show she held a little party backstage and Niall was already there, in crutches and all, when she arrived. He raved about how her concert was amazing and introduced her to a few friends that were there with him. In a Niall style, after he had had a few beers and a couple of shots he, on the brink of his innocence, asked Taylor if Harry had called her.

"Actually, I haven't heard from him in a while." She answered to a frowning Niall.

"That's strange." He shrugged. "I could swear that he came back to London just to see you."

She didn't know that Harry was in London until that moment. Ed had mentioned that he had said something about going home for a few days but he had just failed on saying that he was already there. It was enough for her to think that he really was keeping his distance and that maybe that was what their relationship would end up being.

She had written the song a few days after she was back from Germany and had a couple of days of rest before she finished the European leg of her tour. That day she left Imogen's house feeling like she had achieved a great milestone for her new album and with that there was that feeling of starting over inside of her that she wasn't willing to ignore it anymore.

She had made up her mind that she was going to chop off her hair after the last gig. It was going to symbolize her new beginning, so she had called everyone she knew that was around UK at the time to come to the show, or just the after party. She decided on not calling Harry, she didn't want to be the one to make the first move, not when she was unsure about what was their situation at the moment — since it had became clear that they could be acquaintances, friends, really close friends and friends with benefits on a short period of time. She did call a few of their friends in common, and they promptly confirmed their presences, Grimmy being one of them. In a way or another, she knew that he had heard about it.

If not, as soon as her locks were chopped there were pictures at every corner of the internet. Maybe that was what led to her phone ringing at the dead of the night or the fact that she was leaving the country on the next afternoon. All she knew is that it was the last thing that she was expecting.

"Hello stranger." She answered but then regretted it when she thought that she maybe sounded a little too sexy.

"I want to see you." He answered because apparently there was no time in the world for pleasantries. "I can pick you up at midnight, is it ok for you?"

"Yes… I think so." She was surprised by how he sounded, so she didn't have time to think it over. "I'm staying at the Edition."

"I know. See you soon."

She didn't even had the chance to ask him how the hell he knew the hotel she was staying since she never stayed at the same in London. She looked at the clock beside her bed and saw that she had exactly ten minutes before he arrived. While it might sound strange, they had a habit of having dates that started at midnight where they'd often go for coffee. The thing about that was that it was easier to avoid the crowds and people taking photos of you at that time of the night. So she fetched a coat that wasn't packed yet and went to the hotel's lobby. It didn't take longer until she spotted a black Range Rover coming over with its headlights turned off. She hurried herself to the passenger side while the door was opened from the inside. As she was making her way she didn't know why she was doing it. It was the same damn thing that they always done and it ended up the same way. They would get closer; get too involved with each other and them one of them would get away. On that exact moment, she should put an end to it and tell him that he should leave but right there she ended up putting her seatbelt on and he couldn't take those damn green eyes off her.

"So…" she said while she was trying to erase all the images of them going round and round from her view.

"You're looking amazing." He said while driving off to the street. "Really. I mean the haircut it suited you very well."

He was looking at her again, while driving, but she couldn't help the stupid smile that was making its way on her lips. "Thanks."

He stopped at a red light and she looked around. "Well… where are you taking me?"

"Home." He said simply, while stealing another glance at her.

She knew where he lived and it wasn't very far from where she was staying but he took a longer route. He liked to drive to clear his mind, it was what he was doing before calling her and now that she was there and her smell had filled up his car he wasn't sure about anything anymore. Seeing her had finally calmed all the thoughts about her that were screaming on his mind, and she was looking so different, so peaceful that he wanted to drown in that feeling. But, then, he had told her that he was taking her home, so he took his way to it.

When they arrived he didn't even bother with turning the lights on, afraid it would change something. He just took off his coat. The tension, that was building up in the car as they were both quiet was about to explode the roof as he got closer to her.

"I heard that you've been out and about with some other girl."

She didn't know why it escaped her mouth like that maybe it was because it was something that had been sitting on the back of her mind for a while now and he was too close and she didn't wanted to, not if that meant that he wasn't supposed to be doing that.

He ghosted his finger through her arm and smiled. "What you've heard is true." Like she always was, he added in his mind and closed his hands in fists before it reached her neck.

"But I can't stop thinking about you and I."

She just shook her head while smiling as the realization came to her: they were exactly at the same place they had been a year and a half ago when she told Harry that she had tried to forget him all summer long but his name was stuck in the back of her head.

"I've been there too a few times." She put emphasis on the few times because it had been more than once that she tried to go on a date, go out to a party and he somehow made his way back into her mind.

She took him by the hand and led him to his couch where he sat and she sat with her back against his chest. He kissed the top of her head and she got closer.

"I'm glad that you called."

"So you should thank my mom." She looked up at him with a frown. "She was the one who convinced me on calling you. She and Lou. I went to dinner with them and Gemma tonight."

"My mom brought up the fact that you were in town and what a coincidence it was that I had decided to come over around the same time. Lou told her that we hadn't spoken in a while and she told me that I should call you."

Absentmindedly she was playing with the rings that were on his hand and she could feel his breath catching up.

"I broke up with her, actually."

He blurted and Taylor nodded. She kind of expected it after he called, they could be friends while being with other people, but she knew it would make it all harder.

"I've cut a song with Imogen Heap a few days ago." She said the first thing that came up to her mind so that things didn't end up being plain awkward. "It will definitely make to the new record."

She felt him easing up underneath her and becoming more comfortable with how they were sitting. "How is that coming?"

"It's looking to be a great album." She said all too excited. "Did a couple with Ryan Tedder last month. There is one that I did with Jack that I'm very excited about but there's something missing yet."

"Have I heard any of the songs?" She had sung a few of her songs to him that no one else has ever heard, but those were kept just for them.

"Nope." She answered in a heartbeat. "I'll let you know when it's finished."  
He laughed a little. That was something that he would remember her on the future.

Just there, she noticed his hair being held back by a tiny little ponytail that was resisting bravely on the top of his head. She put her hand up and unmade it, running her hand through his hair to tame it.

"It's so long." She ran her hand until it reached the tip of it.

"Yeah." He shook his head back to get the strand out of his eyes. "I think I'll let it grow and then we'll see."

"You should." She looked it over one more time before sitting against his chest again. "I like it when it's slicked back and long like that."

They remained silent for a moment when suddenly Taylor let out a laugh and slapped her forehead.

"Oh, God." She shook her head. "We're such a crooked love."

She knew that it actually was a line from one of the songs that she had already written for the new album, but at that moment it felt like it couldn't be any more true.

"It seems that we can't ever get it right." She said as she picked up his hand.  "We end up always leaving something unresolved enough so that we can float in an out of each other's life."

"One day we will get it right." He shrugged as he kicked off his boots and put his feet up on the couch by her side. "You'll see."

See turned to look at him and he had his eyes closed. As he felt her moving he opened them up and raised his eyebrows.

"You are staying over, right?" He asked.

She just nodded and sat straight to get her shoes off so she could be more comfortable while he grabbed a blanket and set some pillows where he was sitting. He waited until she was ready and laid down with her hugging his back, so he was the little spoon even if his back were much more broader.

On the next morning, before she could finish her coffee there was a car outside waiting for her. They hugged each other goodbye and she gave him a kiss on the cheek after he told her that he should go to LA on the following week and she promised him they'd see each other then.


	4. A crooked love in a straight line down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry I took so long to update. Life got in the way and I had this update in my mind but was stuck on how it was getting. I think that I finally got what I was aiming for :)

She couldn't get the damn rhytmn out of her head. It had been there since she got in to the plane and begun flipping through the pages of the latest edition of Vogue.  
It was when she placed the first verse to what she knew would be a chorus that she was sure that Max would have to work on yet another song to the album.  
"We never go out of style," she sang on her phone. With the last hours that she spent in London replaying on her head, she was able to write most of the lyrics before landing in LA.  
As soon as she did, she called Max to let him know that she had just written what was her "favorite song on the record."

—

When the Golden Globes came rolling in, she had already finished her new album. On the day that Shellback called her to let her know that Style was finished, she called Ella. She knew that her friend was in LA and she was the first person she wanted to hear it. She played it to her on a drive to Malibu along PCH and all Ella asked was to play it in a loop. On the third time, she was singing along to the whole chorus.  
When they had lunch, she asked Taylor about the story behind the lyrics. They never exchanged any names even if they both knew who was the subject of the not-so-subtle song.  
Taylor told her everything that had happened on the last hours that she spe nt in London and how she was going to see him soon. He was going to be in LA in time for the Oscars and Harvey Weinstein had called her saying that he had invited Harry to his pre-party. He wanted her to introduce the two of them. As if someone like Harvey needed any help on that.  
Ella just listened. Even though she had always been honest with her opinions, she knew that it was better to let Taylor do the talk when Harry was the subject. With the short amount of time that she knew Taylor, she came to learn that there was nothing to be said about that. They gravitated towards each other whenever life led them to be together.

—

Harry sneaked in to the party through the backdoor. He was more than late and didn't need to answer to petty questions about nonsense to anyone who was still at the door. Taylor noticed him arriving by the corner of her eye, while she made small talk to a few executives. She saw him sneaking into Burberry's table as he greeted the people that were there. Jeff was with him, but soon was leaving Harry to greet a few people that he spotted across the room. As soon as Taylor saw him making his way to her she excused herself to meet him halfway. They didn't talk much since her last night in London but it wasn't showing. Not even when their gestures were a little bit too polite and mechanical as they greeted each other. That because both of them were made aware that they had become the center of attention. They could feel eyes turning to them and whispers filling the room, they were used to that but it never felt normal.  
"I've finished the album." Taylor broke the news to him. "Max is giving it the finishing touches. But we already have the first single."  
"Have you met with your label to break the news to them?" Harry smirked at her after she told him that she hadn't broken the news that she wasn't doing country for this album.  
"Oh, yes. Such a pleasant meeting where I got to tell that the album was the one that I had just finished. If they wanted something else they'd have to wait for God knows how long." She laughed at herself. "I just informed them that I was doing what I wanted to and they'd have to deal with it."  
She laughed at herself before wrapping it up. "It felt good."   
"I can imagine you doing it…" he said as he got a drink from a waiter's tray. "Speaking of labels, I need to ask you a favor. Kind of."  
"You're so sneaky.” She smiled at him. “Shoot it."  
"So, I wrote a song for a couple of friends, Simon had the idea that I wrote for them…"  
"Which is great since you'd have more freedom of creativity than you have on the band." She interrupted him to point out to something that he'd usually complain about the stuff that he wrote.  
"Exactly," he smiled at her, "but they aren't sure about one song. So they've cut another one and I told them that I might convince you to hear it."  
"You wrote both songs?" Harry nodded as he sipped his drink. "That's great! I will hear them. Tell your friends to come over on Monday, and you should too. I'll cook you lunch and we’ll catch up."  
“Sounds right.” He looked over and saw people taking their seats as the waiters begun serving dinner. “I guess I should go but I’ll text you about Monday, though.”  
“Wait, I have to introduce you to Harvey. He wouldn’t stop talking about how he wanted to meet you.” She looked around but couldn’t find the man who owned the party. “But I guess he’s not around.”  
“I’ll go look for him after they serve dinner.” Harry smiled at her, and begun to make his way to his seat. “Then, I’ll tell him that you gave me the greatest recommendation.”  
The charmer of always, she was sure that Harvey would fall for any story he would tell him. They didn’t talk for the rest of the night, even if the corner of their eyes acknowledged the presence of the other around the place. By the end of the night, Taylor noticed a text on her phone from him.  
You forgot to tell me when I’m hearing your new album.  
She tried to spot him, noticing that he had just left.  
When it’s ready.  
She answered. Because she didn’t know about it yet, having only played one song to Ella. She was thinking of playing the whole thing for Karlie on their road trip, but she wasn’t sure of it.   
-  
Monday came and she Harry told her that the songs that he wrote were given to the duo that had just won the X Factor. They would bring the songs in the afternoon and Harry was coming for lunch. On Sunday, her realtor told her that she was the newest owner of the penthouse that she had made a bid for in New York. Harry didn’t know that she was planning on moving to the East Coast. Not yet.  
She also had a box that had just arrived for him. It was a fun thing that she had thought to give him for his birthday, but she hadn’t got the chance to give it to him. So, she had it wrapped up and was waiting for him on the table.   
As usual, her security team didn’t phone her about his arrival until he had already reached her door. Her bodyguards loved Harry and every one of them had kind of a bromance with him. She opened up the door for him, looking forward to see his face as he saw what she had gotten him.  
“Ok, I have surprise for you.” She grabbed the box and gave it to him. “It was supposed to be a birthday gift, but stuff happened.”  
He had an idea of what “stuff” it might’ve been, but he didn’t say anything about that.  
“It just so happens that I can’t not give you this.” She looked at him as he unwrapped it, careful to not tear the paper so much.  
Inside the box, he found a Packers hood, beanie and a shirt. He smiled at her, knowing all too well that her whole family were Eagles fans.  
“Let me explain.” She said before he take the items out. “It happens that Jessica, my friend, is a friend of Aaron Rodgers.”  
“No way!” Harry smiled big at her, Rodgers being one of his idols.  
“So I met him recently and asked if he could hook me up with some Packer stuff.” She pointed to the box. “You’ll notice that all this is from this season and that the shirt is signed.”  
He took the shirt out to see it was signed and dedicated to him. His first reaction was to hug her, thanking for the gift. But, then, he set his things aside and kept staring at her.  
“I have to tell you something.”  
“Can I just tell you something first?” She bit her lip, wanting to put it all on the table before they had guests over. “It’s kind of important.”  
He nodded, feeling nervous as she said that it was important. What could be important, anyway? “I’m moving to New York.”  
His eyes grew wide because he never expected it. He had just bought his house in LA and was liking the place, having the absolute perk of it being close to her place. “You’re selling this house, then?”  
“Oh, God, no.” She tried smiling but she knew that somehow she was building a country of distance between them. “I like this house. Besides, Jaime stays here sometimes. She has the baby now and it’s hard whenever they have to fix something at their house.”  
“But you’re moving anyway…” He tried to understand her reasons to do something drastic like this. “When were you sure of this?”  
“Um… yesterday, in fact.” Both of them sat on the bar stools in her kitchen. “My realtor just sent me the papers. You’ll never guess whose apartment that I’ve got.”  
His curiosity got the best of him and he perked up, paying attention to her.  
“Peter Jackson’s!” She knew that Harry was a huge fan of Lord of the Ring, being jealous as ever when Ed got to do a song for one of the Hobbit’s movie. “When I went to see the place, Ian McKellen was chilling at the kitchen.”  
“Shut up!” He almost jumped from his place. “You should’ve called me!”  
“I know!” She laughed out loud at his reaction. “But I was so starstruck… he’s so amazing, he was just there in his pajamas…”  
“Where’s the place at?” He smiled at her, being remembered that they had no commitment between them and Taylor should be happy. Even if that meant that she’d spend more time at the east coast. “You know, when I decide to go by to a visit.”  
“Tribeca.” She said in a matter of fact way. “Our hood.”  
He laughed at her statement. Tribeca was their place in New York, where they could go into the down low and people wouldn’t even suspect. So, they spent the rest of their lunch talking about their adventures in New York. Taylor told him about the road trip that she was about to take with Karlie.  
-  
He had forgotten to tell her that both Alex and Sierra wanted her to listen to the songs because they were about her. So when Taylor looked at him when they played the songs for the first time, he might’ve gotten crimson red. She, somehow, managed to talk business with the duo. Making remarks about tones, styles and all the music aspects of both of the songs.  
“I do like the first song…” she made a stop to think about it a little bit more. “I have to say that I don’t think it was made for two voices, being one masculine and the other feminine.”  
“I wrote this one with John Legend,” Harry spoke for the first time. He took a deep breath before making his own comments, “but I’ve imagined it being more of a solo thing.”  
“Yeah, I can see that.” Taylor nodded in agreement. “The second one, though…”  
Harry could feel his palms starting to sweat. Maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t a great idea suggesting that they ran the songs by Taylor.  
“Is really good.” She gave them all a big smile. “I liked the production, there’s this light quality to it. It fits well to your voices, also. So I think that this one is the winner.”  
Harry felt proud of their work. Even though that he always gave his more heartfelt songs away, he still got nervous to put them out. “Mick’s going to release this one.”  
Taylor laughed at this. Mick was the name that Harry would usually use when he wanted to go unnoticed, and a private joke between them. “What’s the title?”  
“We’re trying to decide between ‘I Fell in Love With a Beautiful Girl’ and ‘I Love You’.” Alex pointed it.  
“I Love You.” Taylor said without a heartbeat. “It has much more impact.”  
-  
Taylor was a great host. Soon enough, she had made the couple feel like they were friends for a long time. Even if Meredith couldn’t care less for their attempts to play with her, Taylor and Harry observed them from afar.   
“She only likes Harry.” Taylor remarked. “He’s the only one that she bothers on greeting when he comes over. She’s been in love with him since she was a kitten.”  
Harry smiled at her observation. It was true that Meredith liked him, but he didn’t know that she had grown to be such a grumpy cat.  
“So… I love you, huh?” Taylor elbowed him on the ribs. “Subtle using words from my songs, smooth.”  
“Who said it is about you?” He tried to look distraught but couldn’t help laughing. “I was going to tell it before…”  
“No!” Taylor exclaimed to his surprise. “It would’ve ruined it.”  
“It’s just that I don’t know where we stand.” He shrugged. “I was afraid to scare you.”  
“We stand where we are right now…” She tried to find words to define it, but she realized that there wasn’t a simple way to say it out loud. “It’s just good to know about those things. I’ll keep it in mind.”  
“It’s true, though.” He gave her one of his best smiles, where his dimples showed in full force. “I mean, I do, you know?”  
“I do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *as you should've noticed by now, I'm trying to make some kind of timeline of events... I hope this all makes some sense?


End file.
